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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · cabinet · sharp · scale · cap · saw · pass · squash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — a hat
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pass — a permit
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com